MOSCOW Almost six months after the start of his war of aggression against Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has reaffirmed the goal of completely capturing Donbas. The Russian army is fulfilling its duties in the "People's Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk," the Kremlin chief told international guests at a military forum near Moscow in the "Patriot" park on Monday.
While Ukraine accuses Russia of the most serious war crimes and a bloody occupation policy, Putin once again claimed that "the soil of the Donbas is being liberated step by step" from Ukrainian nationalists. In February, Putin recognized the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent states against international protests and started a war.
The forum also featured an arms show with tanks and missiles, where Russia advertised its armaments. According to daily reports from the Moscow Ministry of Defense about the massive shelling of Ukrainian areas with rockets and artillery, in his speech, Putin praised the work of Russian armaments companies in equipping the army and navy with "modern weapons that are now working for victory". Referring to guests from 70 countries, according to official figures, the Kremlin chief said that Russia has partnered on many continents and has shown courage and character without bowing to the United States.
The state-run Russian arms exporter Rosoboronexport meanwhile emphasized that the western sanctions do not affect the export of military technology. By the end of 2023, five units of the Russian S-400 missile defence system would be handed over to India in accordance with the supply contracts, said Rosoboronexport boss Alexander Michejew. However, the head of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, Dmitry Shugayev, admitted that "in connection with the political events" some logistical problems had been identified.
On February 24, Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine to wrest the areas from Kyiv's control. For its defence, Ukraine relies primarily on the delivery of heavy weapons from the West. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was confident his country would win.
